The Zero Code (Max Mars Book 3) Read online

  A swarm of patrol cars surrounded the building with lights flashing. Officers exited their vehicles and stormed into the lobby with their weapons drawn.

  The wind gusted through Max’s hair as she peered over the ledge. It was far more breezy than the street down below. Max felt like she could almost reach out and touch the clouds.

  “I still don't understand how this is helping our situation,” Sebastian said.

  Max's fierce eyes gazed at the neighboring building that was under construction. It was nothing but steel beams, pylons, and unfinished concrete floors. There were no windows installed yet. Construction bots were putting in the wiring and plumbing. A giant yellow crane loomed atop the building.

  The neighboring structure was a good distance away. The sidewalk below was at least 12 feet wide. The street was 2 lanes across at 12 feet each, plus another 12 feet for the opposite sidewalk. It was a 48’ jump anyway you sliced it. The Galactic record for long jump was 36’7”, set by Willy Payne. Of course, he wasn't genetically engineered. Modified humans weren't allowed to compete. Still, even with Max's enhanced genetics, it was a long way across.

  “You're not seriously thinking about jumping?”

  Max shrugged. "I'm thinking about it."

  “As long as it stays a thought, I think you’ll be fine.”

  “Ye of little faith,” Max said with confidence. But she had her doubts.

  Felix meowed. He wanted no part of this.

  Max slid off her backpack and handed it to Sebastian. Then she handed Felix over to him. She stepped away from the parapet, backing up as far as she could. She wanted as much running room as possible.

  She focused her attention on the runway and envisioned a successful jump in her mind. Several studies had been done with athletes and cognitive training—those who visualized practice had the same gains as those who actually practiced. But all the practice in the world wasn't going to allow her to fly. Max took a deep breath and launched into a sprint. She ran as fast as she could—her legs pumping, her heart pounding. Her chest heaved for breath. She leapt onto the parapet, then sprang into the air. She floated over the street with a nice trajectory. There was no turning back now.

  The wind rushed through her hair, and there was an eerie tranquility about the whole thing—just gliding through the air like a cloud, 50 stories above the pavement. No big deal. But halfway through, reality kicked in. Max was beginning to think this was a bad idea.

  30

  Max soared… like a rock. She was going to come up short. Instead of visualizing a successful landing, images of smacking the pavement flashed through her mind.

  She missed the rooftop and slammed into the edge of the floor below. The concrete jabbed her in the chest, knocking the air from her lungs. She heard ribs crack. Pain stabbed through her thoracic cavity. It felt like someone had jabbed a kitchen knife into the area of her previous surgery. Max wouldn't have been surprised if the wound split open.

  She clawed onto the concrete, hanging on for dear life. She gasped for breath. Then she made the mistake of glancing down to the street below. Her feet dangled over the side of the building. The flickering blue lights from the patrol cars below didn't seem quite as intimidating as the pavement. Maybe she should have taken her chances fighting her way out of the Vanguard?

  Max mustered her strength and pulled herself up over the ledge. She rolled onto the dusty concrete and relaxed for a moment, filling her lungs with oxygen. Every breath ached. She staggered to her feet and looked across the steel canyon to Sebastian.

  “You don't really expect me to do that, do you?”

  “Hang tight," Max yelled. “I’ve got you covered."

  She moved to the stairwell and climbed to the roof. She darted to the massive tower crane that loomed on top of the building. She climbed into the control cab and powered up the crane. She flicked switches and pulled levers until the jib rotated clockwise, bridging the gap between the two structures.

  The heavy yellow crane swung over Sebastian's head. A platform containing steel girders hung from the trolley at the end of the jib.

  Sebastian looked at it perplexed. “What am I supposed to do now?”

  Max leaned out of the control cab and yelled, “Climb on!” Max winced. It hurt to yell.

  Sebastian’s eyes went round like saucers. “For real?”

  “For real!” There was a slight tone of exasperation in her voice.

  Sebastian muttered to himself, “This is insanity.”

  He slung Max's backpack over his shoulders, then climbed onto the platform. He hung on to the hoist cable, trying to balance himself. He cradled Felix with his other arm.

  Max retracted the trolley and it pulled the two of them across the chasm.

  Sebastian closed his eyes and tried not to look down. He mumbled a silent prayer. The trolley cable squeaked as it moved across the jib. A gust of wind knocked Sebastian off balance, causing him to clutch onto the hoist cable even tighter. He had squeezed all the blood out of his hand. His knuckles were as pale as could be.

  After what seemed like an eternity, the trolley crossed the treacherous chasm and moved over the rooftop. Sebastian climbed off the platform. He wanted to kiss the ground. He was trembling, and his knees were shaking.

  Felix looked happy to be on the other side.

  Max climbed out of the control cab and greeted them.

  “No more heights. I'm not doing the heights thing. Ever again. As in never."

  “Hey, I didn't force you to do anything.”

  He looked at her, incredulous. "Yes. You did."

  Max rolled her eyes.

  She found the stairwell and started to spiral downward. The elevators hadn't even been installed in the building yet. After a few flights, Sebastian was huffing and puffing. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his shirt was soaked underneath his armpits. Sebastian was averse to exercise, and it was showing.

  There were no handrails or exterior walls. Rounding the outside edge of the stairwell was a daunting proposition. A little too much momentum could send you over the edge, plummeting to the pavement below. It was a concern at the forefront of Sebastian's mind as he descended each flight of stairs. The stairs were more than wide enough to maintain footing, but somehow, with hazards on either side, they seemed more narrow than normal.

  Max plummeted downward without a second thought. She kept stopping and waiting for Sebastian. She gave some consideration to the idea of carrying him down—it might have gone faster.

  By the time they reached the ground floor, Sebastian looked like he was about to have a heart attack. He was wheezing and gasping for breath. His quads were on fire, and his legs were about to give out.

  They emerged from the construction site on the opposite side of the building from the Vanguard. They were well out of view of the police officers.

  Sebastian leaned against the wall and tried to catch his breath. "I need a minute"

  “Sure. Take your time. It's not like we’re trying to stop a robot apocalypse or anything." Max stood on the sidewalk, waiting for Sebastian to recover. A steady flow of traffic raced by. Despite the late hour, the sidewalk was thick with pedestrians. Sov Islaa was the city that never slept.

  An athletic blonde woman jogged down the sidewalk, her ears plugged with earbuds. Her Rottweiler led the way. She held onto his leash, and could barely keep up.

  Max didn't pay them much attention. But the Rottweiler took an interest in Felix and lunged for him. The woman pulled hard on the leash, attempting to keep the heavy dog from pouncing on the blue cat. The dog's ferocious barks were ear piercing. The aggressive animal flashed his brilliant teeth, dripping with saliva.

  He was enough to scare the bejesus out of Felix. He let out a shrill screech and leapt from Max’s arms. He sprang in the air and landed on the sidewalk, sprinting away from the loud dog.

  "I'm so sorry," the woman said as she continued to jog down the sidewalk.

  Felix rocketed away. Max chased after him, weaving through
the oncoming pedestrians. As fast and nimble has she was, Max didn't hold a candle to the frisky feline.

  Max's heart practically stopped when Felix dashed out into the street. The automated cars slammed their brakes as they detected the animal in the roadway.

  Felix reached the other side of the road and disappeared into an alleyway.

  Max darted across the street, chasing after him.

  Sebastian was in no condition to run. He stayed put on the sidewalk, still heaving for breath.

  By the time Max reached the alley, Felix was at the opposite end. She saw his blue tail round the corner heading north. Max never envisioned herself chasing a cat through the streets of a crowded city in order to save humanity.

  31

  "Felix! Felix!" Max shouted as she entered the abandoned building after the spry cat. The dilapidated structure was dark and dusty. The damp, musty smell of mold filled the air, like an old wet sock.

  Max heard Felix meowing in the darkness.

  "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty…” She repeated the phrase over and over again.

  Felix's meows reverberated throughout the structure. It was hard to pinpoint his exact location, with the sound bouncing off the walls.

  Posted signs indicated the building was scheduled for demolition. It was several hundred years old and crumbling. With an antiquated design and toxic construction materials, the building was deemed a public health hazard, despite its somewhat limited historic significance.

  Max pushed farther into the structure, calling out for Felix. She heard the squeal of rats, and the patter of ragged claws clattering across the floor in the shadows of the room. Felix was going to have a field day in a place like this—a never ending safari for the domesticated animal to hunt.

  There were holes in the wall, and paint was peeling. Tiles and wiring hung from the ceiling. The area was littered with trash. Graffiti was spray-painted on the walls, and there was clear evidence of squatters. Max found an old worn-out mattress in a makeshift living area. There were empty chemical barrels that had been used as fire pits. It had provided shelter for various indigent people. But with the planned demolition, that was all coming to an end.

  Max pushed into the stairwell. Her enhanced vision allowed her to see where others could not. Even still, the stairwell was near pitch-dark. The steel staircase was rusted and corroded. Sections had crumbled away. Climbing the worn-out staircase wasn't recommended. And walking around on any of the higher levels seemed like asking for trouble. More than one person had fallen through the floor and shattered a tibia upon landing. Max had no intention of joining that prestigious club. She yelled into the stairway again, "Felix!"

  There was no response. She couldn't hear any precocious meows. Even Max's sensitive ears didn't hear the patter of Felix’s feet anywhere in the structure.

  Max's face tensed. She wondered how her life had come to this—chasing a cat that was chasing a rat.

  Max was about to ascend the rickety staircase when the sound of weapons fire echoed in the streets. Her head snapped in the direction of the sound. She darted from the stairwell to the nearest window and peered into the street. Max clenched her jaw, and her stomach tightened up. A platoon of militarized robots marched through the streets. They were armed with assault rifles and were firing upon anyone who resisted.

  These robotic units were bigger and broader than Winston. They all resembled Orlov’s robotic assistant, Dexter. Their skeletal structure was made of the strongest alloy, and they had thick armor plated composite body panels. They were part tank, part infantry soldier. And they were terrifying.

  There was no telling what their full capability was. But they didn't look like the kind of robots that were going to go down from a single shot from a plasma pistol, much less a .45. Their body armor was reminiscent of the War-Tek™ Advanced Tactical Armor Max had used when she was a member of project SW Ultra. Only this was newer and more sophisticated. An unlimited amount of R&D had been pumped into its development. Robo-Dynamics was one of the highest valued companies on the Federation Stock Exchange. They had virtually unlimited resources. These new robots were the pinnacle of their technology.

  “A curfew is now in effect. Return to your homes and await further instructions. Noncompliance will result in termination. All weapons must be surrendered upon demand. Thank you for your cooperation during this transition of power." The mantra was repeated over and over again by all of the robots.

  The pedestrians on the street scattered like cockroaches in the light. Their faces filled with terror and confusion as they tried to comprehend what was happening.

  Other, more defiant individuals, found out the hard way that the robots weren’t to be trifled with. Even a hint of resistance was met with a brutal response. Anyone with a weapon was terminated on sight. This extended to law enforcement. Max watched as a squad of robots opened fire on an officer who had the audacity to question what was going on. He made it a few feet from his patrol car before he was gunned down in the street. He fell to the concrete gasping for breath, but his lungs were eviscerated from the plasma wounds.

  Max knew the feeling all too well.

  The code had been sent out through the uplink, converting every existing robot into a conscript in the Robo-Dynamics Army. There was no telling if this was isolated to Sov Islaa, the entire planet, or the Federation at large.

  Max unholstered her .45. But she had no idea if it would do any good against these militant robots.

  32

  Max hid behind the wall and watched the platoon of militarized robots march through the streets. Max dug her mobile out of her pocket and called Sebastian. "Where are you?"

  "I'm where you left me. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?”

  "Unfortunately."

  Sebastian’s terrified face filled her display screen. His voice trembled. "Did you find Felix?"

  Max shook her head.

  "What are we going to do?"

  “Is there any other way to reprogram these bots?"

  "No. We need that code." Sebastian pondered the situation. "I've got an idea. I might be able to track the little guy. It's a long shot, but it might work."

  "Stay put. I'm coming to get you." Max disconnected the call.

  Felix was long gone. There was no point in hanging around an abandoned building.

  After the robotic patrol passed, Max slipped out of the building and darted across the street. She dashed into an alley and hugged the wall. She peered back around the corner to see if anyone had taken notice. There were robotic sentries stationed every other block or so. But Max had managed to elude detection. She ran down the alley and took cover behind a dumpster as another platoon of robots marched through the street ahead of her. They were still chanting the same mantra.

  Max advanced to the end of the alleyway, and when the coast was clear, she darted across the street to the construction site by the Vanguard. She found Sebastian hiding in the stairwell.

  "What's this long shot of yours?" Max asked.

  Sebastian was diligently working on his mobile, tabbing through screens and typing in code. "All pet collars have a geo-locating device. We should be able to track Felix. We just need to know his unique identifier. There are millions of animals in the city, and without the identifier it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

  “So, how do we find the identifier?"

  "That's what I'm working on. According to the Sov Islaa Municipal Code, all pets must be licensed, vaccinated, and registered. I'm trying to hack into the database. That will give us access to Felix's tag number. From there, we should be able to track him."

  Max watched Sebastian with hopeful eyes as he fiddled with his device.

  After a few moments, a grin curled up on Sebastian's lips. “Got it. Now I just need to track him.” Sebastian launched another app and entered Felix's identifier. “Boom. He’s less than half a mile away. 3384 York Street.”

  “Half a mile with all those bots running around might as well be a million,�
�� Max muttered. She cracked the door to the stairwell and peered out to the street. The clank of robotic footsteps against the pavement echoed off the skyscrapers. She could hear small arms fire in the distance and the panicked screams of civilians.

  When the roadway cleared, she pushed out of the stairwell and took cover behind a pylon close to the sidewalk. Sebastian was right behind her. Max looked up to the sky to make sure there weren't any drones surveilling the area.

  She darted from the pylon to the curb and crouched down between two parked cars. From there, she dashed across the street and into an alleyway.

  Sebastian huffed and puffed as he lagged behind.

  Max's face creased with frustration. “Maybe you should stay put while I go get Felix.”

  Sebastian lifted his brow. "Are you crazy? I'm not sticking around here by myself.”

  “Then keep up.”

  He gave her a mock salute. “Aye-aye, Captain."

  Max’s eyes narrowed at him.

  Sebastian quickly realized this wasn’t the time to joke around. "Right. Faster. Got it."

  “Turn around,” Max commanded.

  Sebastian's face crinkled up, perplexed. Then he realized he was still wearing her backpack. He spun around and she dug into the pack, pulling out a plasma pistol that she had taken from one of the goons at the Vanguard. She clicked the safety on the .45 and stuffed it in the pack, then sealed it up. She hated to trade out her .45, but she figured a plasma pistol would do more damage against these armored machines. She checked the magazine, and the plasma charge. The pistol was ready to go.

  She moved down the alleyway, past dumpsters and bags of trash. She held up near the sidewalk and peered around the corner. This time Sebastian was right on her heels. Her focused eyes scanned the street in both directions. There was a robotic sentry on the corner. There was another alleyway a block over. This wasn't going to be a simple dash across the street. They were going to have to run across and down the street, spending more time in plain view. Max watched the sentry’s head swivel as he scanned in all directions. She tried to make out the timing and pattern of the surveillance, but it was always random.